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Arthritis Facts
There are several misconceptions about arthritis and these wrong perceptions affect the health of a person living with arthritis. Here are some wrong perceptions that should be corrected with these right arthritis facts
Misconception: Arthritis is part of old age and it only affects elderly.
Arthritis Facts: Arthritis is not a common part of old age and it can affect all ages.
Arthritis can affect anyone whether you are in middle age, teens and even children can have arthritis.
At present, there are over one hundred types of arthritis and depending on the type, it can generaly affect people regradless of age bracket.
Arthritis is not also gender specific as it can generally affect women and men alike though there are some types of arthritis that is more common in one gender than the other.
For example, lupus, fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arhtritis are much common in women than in men, while gout arthritis is known to affect men than women.
Misconception: Arthritis is just a simple minor ache.
Arthritis Facts: Arthritis is not just a simple minor ache, it is a chronic disease that can lasts longer and it damages the joints.
The arthritis pain can do many changes in the body and without proper medications, the severity of the pain can double over time as the damage in the joints progresses.
Aside from the ache, the patient can also experience the following:
Pain as the affected joints is used
Inflammation of the joints
Movement is affected
Chronic pain
Tiredness
Joint deformities
Other health related problems
Arthritis is not a simple disease that can really go away by itself, it really needs medical attention to avoid further damaging your joints thus affecting your movements as a whole.
Misconception: Arthritis is curable.
Arthritis Facts: At present, there is no known cure for arthritis.
The arthritis medicines those were used are only used to treat the symptoms and to slow down the prognosis of the disease but it cannot really cure arthritis.
The commercial ads found in television that claims can cure arthritis is not entirely true. These medications are only used to treat the symptoms like chronic pain, which a patient of arhtritis generally feels.
Though, the patient lifestyle can affect the prognosis of symptoms that is why doctors usually recommend lifestyle change along with the use of the medications.
Misconception: Arthritis is due to cold climate
Arthritis facts: Arthritis is the inflammation of the joints and cold weather is not to blame for arthritis pain.
People living with humid climate also experience arthritis the same way people with cold weather feels. Though persons living with arthritis can really feel relief, while they are in warm weather than in cold climate, but still the weather is not to be blame for arthritis.
You may do the following remedies whether you are in warm or cold climate to give you some relief in your symptoms:
Warm bath
Warm or cold compress ask your doctor which is more suited for your condition
Soaking in heated pools
Misconception: Arthritis does not have flare and remissions
Arthritis Facts: Arthritis is a chronic disease and it can have unexpected flares and remissions. It does not mean that a patient were able to play a couple round of golf is that he will not have another attack of arthritis.
Persons living with arthritis find it hard to explain to their loved ones why they feell stong today and feel chronic tiredness the next day. To avoid this, you may consider scheduling your activities and make sure that you corporate a series of rest days to your schedule to avoid troublesome pain.
Misconception: Arthritis will stop all your activities.
Arthritis Facts: It is true that arthritis can limit some of your activities but it do not mean that you have to stop all your activties. There are still some activties like certain exercises that you may do that will in fact improve your condition.
Persons living with arthritis will often find help and support from their families and friends but too much support to the point of treating them like invalid is not healthy to the body as well as to the emotional needs of the patient.
Emotional needs of the person should also be met and this will likely be attained through understanding, care and by supervising the person to do the things that the person can personally do.
Ask your doctor all the activties that you do on your own and the activties that you may enjoy doing with the presence of your family and friends.
